The Diageo Customer Service team at St. James’s Gate have recently launched their Supply Chain Capability Development Program in the Guinness Storehouse. Supply chain management (SCM) has been identified by Diageo as a key source of competitive advantage. This has prompted the team to identify ways to further enhance their capabilities in support of this strategic initiative. Key elements which have been identified in the changing role of the supply chain in strategic differentiation are as follows:

• Role of customer service as an order winning criterion

• Customer service excellence delivered through the supply chain: SCM becoming regarded as a source of differentiation

• Price/cost leadership: supply chain costs often significant

The training program incorporates these new challenges and was developed based on a self assessment program which identified priority training areas for the team across functional and business fundamentals. Key areas identified for this calendar year’s program are as follows:

• End to End Supply Chain

• Collaboration and Relationship Management

• Project Management

• Change Management

Participants Working at Last Week’s Program at the Guinness Storehouse

The first module in the training program was delivered by Edward Sweeney of NITL. There was a great turnout for the launch with a number of invited guests from the Brewing Network, Irish Operations and European Logistics also in attendance. Pat Treacy, Head of Supply Planning & Continuous Improvement said: “It was a great privilege to have someone of Edward Sweeney’s calibre to launch the programme and the response from the team has been overwhelmingly positive. This augurs well for the program and provides a platform to support improved business performance.”